


Candy

by cheddarbug



Series: Flufftober 2020 [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: All Saints' Wake (Final Fantasy XIV), Alternate Universe - Children, Candy, Children are insane, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Flufftober 2020, Halloween Costumes, Nero still makes a good dad, Other, Parenthood, sugar rush - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:13:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26769304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cheddarbug/pseuds/cheddarbug
Summary: Nero learns what happens when you give a young child too much candy
Relationships: Cid nan Garlond/Original Character(s), Nero tol Scaeva/Original Female Character(s), Nero tol Scaeva/Warrior of Light
Series: Flufftober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951180
Kudos: 10





	Candy

All Saints’ Wake was an interesting time of year in Eorzea, to say the very least. It had not been a holiday Nero was familiar with growing up in Garlemald, mostly because he’d grown up atheist. There had been no reason to fear dark creatures that might come forth in the wake of a saint’s absence, and the fact an entire culture had once believed such a farce was entertaining. 

What was once a fearful time of holding up in one’s house and praying for the day to come was now a festival for all ages to enjoy. Children and adults alike dressed up in all manner of costumes, games were held throughout Gridania, and feasts were prepared in celebration. For what reason, Nero didn’t quite know. All he knew was he rather enjoyed the festivities around him.

Marni tugged at his arm constantly, eyes wide at the lights and colors and people milling about with such wonder and awe. It amazed him at just how much everything in the world amazed  _ her. _ He could just watch her for bells in such stimulating situations and never grow bored of even the most minute changes in her face or smile. 

She always got excited when she saw other kids dressed up too. 

“Ma! Da! Look!” she would scream, pointing aimlessly into the sea of people at whatever caught her eye. It was impossible to discern what it was she was pointing at, so Carine and Nero would both agree that, whatever it was, it was spectacular.

They arrived at Mih Khetto’s Amphitheatre where the majority of children were gathered. It was a safer place for age appropriate games and activities, and it would be the host of the costume contest that would be happening soon. Nero, being the proud father he was, was certain Marni would win judging from the other costumes present. They were... _ okay, _ at best. Ghosts, pirates, goblins, all interesting in their own way, but none of them could hold a candle to the shining red armor Marni sported.

That was, until Cid and Dainty showed up with their son.

While the rivalry between Nero and Cid had drastically died down when they’d both become fathers, Nero couldn’t help but still feel the urge to best Garlond in whatever way he could. He’d thought Marni might help him in that endeavor tonight, but seeing Haruru dressed as the person-version of Omega riding in a child-sized mechanical Omega, he soon realized his daughter was outmatched. 

Carine didn’t even seem to take notice as she welcomed her friends. She even  _ complimented _ the boy on his costume choice and how very creative and realistic it was. So caught up in the moment of jealousy, he failed to notice Marni helping herself to the hefty bag of candy she’d received from one of the attendants.

“Seems you went a little overboard with the costume design, eh Garlond?” Nero crossed his arms over his chest. 

“Couldn’t talk him out of it,” Cid replied, looking down at his son just grinning from ear to ear. “You have his mother to blame for that. Dainty doesn’t exactly hold back in her story-telling and he’s got an imagination.”

No one could deny Haruru was Cid’s son. Aside from the white hair and blue eyes, there was a stockiness to him that betrayed his father’s heritage. That, and the third eye he managed to inherit. The pale skin and scales as well as orange limbal rings marked him as his mother’s child, as well as the stoic expression he seemed to wear most days. 

“Well Marni wanted to be  _ me _ this year,” Nero replied, tilting his chin up with pride. 

“Here we go,” Carine giggled with Dainty. “Time to see who’s bird is bigger.”

“Mhmm. Wine? Fer the show?” The Au’Ra nodded toward one of the tents.

“I think wine will be needed,” she agreed. “Nero, watch Marni.”

He only nodded, his conversation with Garlond continuing on without so much as a look down. If he had, he would have then noticed his daughter sharing her candy with her best friend, and Haruru sharing his candy with her. 

Cid looked down to acknowledge what Nero said was true and the smile he’d been wearing quickly disappeared. Nero, thinking he was impressed by the attention to detail of the armor, beamed with pride and looked down himself…

Only to be staring into the dilated pupils of a young child impossibly full of sugar.

_ Oh no. _

Chocolate was smeared all around her mouth, sticky drool slowly sliding from the corner of her lips as she stared up at him. Or was it  _ through _ him? Honestly, he’d never seen anything quite like that. Marni was allowed her sweets from time to time, but this was apparently more than even she bargained for.

A shiver ran through her little being, pupils dilating further as the candy took hold. She blinked slowly and then leapt to her feet with a mighty roar. 

“I. AM. IRON. NEEERRROOOO!”

Both Nero and Cid jumped at the sound, their eyes growing wide as they watched her reach for her hammer and swing it around madly. Other children squealed with equal excitement, Haruru among them as he maneuvered his Omega to follow her battlecry. In the blink of an eye, the amphitheatre had turned into a warzone.

“What in seven hells?” Carine and Dainty were back, wine glasses in hand as they watched chaos ensue. “What happened?”

Nero bent and picked up the bag of candy, “I think  _ this  _ did.”

If looks could have killed, then the glare Carine gave him the instant she realized what happened would have incinerated him. “You let her eat  _ all _ of it?!”

“No!” He defended himself. “Though, to be honest, she ate it remarkably fast. You were gone but a moment…”

“My mother is going to kill you,” she simply shook her head as she watched Marni bonk some poor unsuspecting kid on the head, her hammer letting out a triumphant squeak that seemed only to spur her child on.

Oh, that was a good point. He no longer felt quite as defeated knowing it wouldn’t be  _ him _ having to put her to bed tonight. Carine might  _ think _ Elaine would chop his head off for allowing Marni to have so much candy at one time, but he knew the woman was ever grateful to have time to spend with the hellspawn her daughter created. Edmont, on the other hand, might not be as eager to have a sugared up child running through his mansion.

The chaos continued, Marni front and center with her war cry. There was no controlling her at this point, even Carine had given up and suggested they let her ride it out. Nero never realized children could move so bloody  _ fast _ until he was trying to catch her. The few times he managed to have her in his grasp, she turned and bonked him on the head with her hammer, hard enough on the third eye to leave him dizzy, but not enough to hurt. 

All the while she laughed and screamed like a banshee.

Even the costume contest was a fiasco that ended with Marni and Haruru doing a sort of reenactment of the fight against Omega. By now, the other children had come off the stage as the two faced off, dramatic sound effects and all. There was naught to do but sit back and at least try to enjoy the show.

“Do you think it will ever end?” Cid asked, his voice mildly worried. 

“I-I’ve no idea,” Nero replied in kind, though he smirked as Marni bonked Haruru on the head. “That’s my girl! Woo!”

Carine, Dainty, and Cid all turned in unison to stare him down. 

“What?” He shrugged, turning back to the show on stage. “She has  _ excellent _ aim. And apparently a strong right arm.”

“I win!” Marni began bouncing up and down, golden curls all over the place as Haruru crossed his arms.

“No you didn’t! That’s not how it went,” he challenged her. Before Marni could tilt her head in confusion, Haruru took her hammer and bopped  _ her _ on the head. 

The resulting squeak from the action left the entire amphitheatre silent.

Now, Nero couldn’t say he was  _ entirely _ aware of how children managed themselves in play. There did appear to be some sort of unspoken rule about things between them, namely anything was a go so long as everyone was having fun. Seeing the surprised look on Marni’s face as the tables had turned made Nero realize that things were very quickly going to take a turn for the worst.

Her hands went immediately to her head, and Nero’s instinct was to run up there and comfort his sweet, precious, child, but Carine held him back and shook her head. Right. He wasn’t supposed to coddle her. If he made it out to be worse than it was, then she was apt to react badly in any similar situation. No. He had to sit back, heart in his throat as he waited for the cry that he just  _ knew _ was going to come once she’d processed the information.

But rather than toss her head back and wail over something she’d started, Marni just staggered while holding her head, falling to her knees and then to her back before coughing and sticking her tongue out. 

Giggles rippled through the crowd at the dramatic “death” of Marni, most of which came from the general vicinity that was Carine, Dainty, and Cid. Nero glared at them all, jaw clenched and unamused. 

“What?” Carine couldn’t help herself as she burst into laughter. “Isn’t that  _ exactly _ what happened?”

“I didn’t bloody die!” he muttered with a frown. Haruru was already helping Marni back to her feet and giving her a hug while she giggled and asked him to do it again...replaying the scene as much as she desired. Each “death” was more over the top and dramatic than the last, but it made the other children laugh and scream which now seemed her only goal.

“Oh no, of course not my love,” Carine kissed his cheek and linked her arm with his. “But you  _ did _ act pretty pitiful once we had you out of harm’s way.”

“That’s not the same,” he replied, another fit of giggles following. He simply rolled his eyes and then looked for his child, who’d suddenly grown quiet. Panic set in, but was quickly quelled as soon as he spotted the red armor still on stage this time laying face down and out cold. Haruru seemed confused, kneeling there and stroking the blonde curls while Marni slept. 

_ Children, _ he thought to himself with an incredulous grin.  _ Bloody children. _

**Author's Note:**

> Nero as a father to this hellspawn is literally my favorite thing right now xD


End file.
